“You couldn’t talk to a live person. Everything was recorded, so you didn’t know if you were getting through to anybody or not, Paese said. “We were one of the last to be brought on-line and it was a minor problem in talking to the workers who helped us.”

The workers who eventually helped were from Texas and had been idling in a lot a few blocks away awaiting assignment.

They told CBS 2 that LIPA instructed them not to talk about any chaos they were experiencing. Other linemen and tree trimmers said they were also told the same.

In the midst of clipboards, paper maps, no GPS and sporadic instructions, some had no idea where to go.

While LIPA trucks have mobile data terminals linked to dispatchers, the thousands of out-of-state workers did not.

One worker from Ohio called the situation a “free-for-all.”

LIPA’s chief admitted to CBS 2 on Wednesday that its antiquated Internet technology could not keep up with the staggering workload.

“An obsolete system. Our IT systems in the background — these are managed by National Grid, formerly owned by National Grid — are acknowledged to be in need of replacement,” LIPA Chief Operating Officer Michael Hervey said.

How long did you wait to get your power restored? Let us know in the comments section below…